by Troy Z. Horvat, Pharm.D. PGY1
Pharmacy Practice Resident, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
From
a young age, I was often told, “There are no stupid questions.” My parents
employed this strategy to encourage me to ask questions and to not be
embarrassed about seeking help. However, as I progressed through my
undergraduate and doctoral curriculums I saw students asking fewer questions. As
information became increasingly more complex, why weren’t students asking MORE questions? Now that I am a pharmacy
resident with a career goal of becoming a faculty member at an academic
institution, the question has become not only why are questions not being
asked, but more importantly, what can I do as an educator to encourage this
behavior.
Asking
questions during or after class is an academic help-seeking behavior. Academic help-seeking has been formally
defined as “an achievement behavior involving the search for and employment of
a strategy to obtain success.”1 Historically, students displaying
academic help-seeking behavior had been viewed as immature, dependent, and
unintelligent.2 Research now shows that there is a correlation
between help-seeking behavior and academic success.3 Unfortunately, students who are struggling
academically often don’t seek academic help and may display help-avoidance
behavior. Whether a student displays academic help-seeking or help-avoidance
behavior appears to be related to internal and external factors.
Internally,
self-motivation, ego-achievement goals, and the perceived view of the instructor
all play an important role in dictating which behavior will be expressed.2 Students that lack motivation or display
ambivalence towards learning are more likely to display help-avoidance behavior. However, not all behavior can be explained by
ambivalence and lack of motivation. Some students do not seek academic
assistance because it contradicts their desire for autonomy.4 The student’s perception of the instructor
may also have a major impact on help-seeking behavior. If the student perceives
the instructor as cold and unavailable, the student will be more likely to display
help-avoidance behavior.5
Conversely, as a recently published study by Payakachat et al. illustrates,
faculty who are perceived by the student to be respectful, accessible, approachable,
and friendly increase help-seeking behavior.7
External
factors such as social norms, the goal structure of the classroom, and the
instructor’s approach (e.g. openness and flexibility) can positively or
negatively impact academic help-seeking behavior.2 From a social point of view, students who ask
questions in class are often criticized by their peers for their lack of
understanding or unnecessarily extending the length of the class. If students feel socially threatened by their
peers, they will be more likely to display help-avoidance behavior.5 Additionally, asking for help is contrary to the importance that Western cultures place on self-reliance and
independence.4 The goal
structure of the classroom also plays a role in developing academic
help-seeking behavior. Learning
environments that place a strong emphasis on grades and competition among
students may discourage help-seeking behavior.
Conversely, learning environments that place a strong emphasis on effort
and understanding, foster it.6
The instructor’s approach, openness, and flexibility may play the
biggest role in developing a help-seeking culture. Research has shown
instructors that use positive encouragement and set aside “student hours” (a
more positive term for formal office hours) have better relationships with
their students.8 Forming a
better relationship with students will increase the students’ positive
perception of their instructors and, as Payakachat showed, facilitates
help-seeking behavior.7
Based
on what we know about help-seeking and help-avoidance behaviors, what we can do
as educators to facilitate a culture of help-seeking among students? Perhaps the easiest strategies for an
instructor to implement relate to their personal approach. Instructors should display behaviors such as:
respect, accessibility, approachability, and a friendly demeanor as these have
been linked to the enrichment of academic help-seeking behavior. Additionally, educators can restructure their
learning environment to one that does not emphasize competition and grades, but
focuses more on understanding. Finally, trying to be more interactive and
engaging may help to increase student’s motivation and decrease ambivalence toward
a topic or content area.
Looking
back at my educational journey, I can point to a select few instructors who really
fostered my help-seeking behavior. While
these instructors taught me at different times in my life, they had common
qualities. They praised me for asking questions, discouraged others from teasing
me when I asked questions, allotted enough time at the end of class for
questions, were available outside of class (both in person and via email), and
displayed a dedication to helping me achieve success. As I progress through my career, I hope to
incorporate these strategies into my own practice and facilitate a new
generation of help-seekers.
References:
1. Ames R, Lau S. An attributional analysis of student help-seeking in academic settings. J Educ
Psychology 1982;74:414-23.
2. Nelson-Le Gall S.
Help-seeking behavior in learning. Rev Research Educ 1985;12:55-90.
3.
Lee CJ. Academic help seeking: Theory and strategies for nursing
faculty. J Nurs Educ. 2007;46:468-75.
4. Butler
R. Determinants of help seeking: Relations between perceived reasons for classroom help-avoidance and help-seeking behaviors in an experimental context.
J Educ Psychology 1998 00/00;90(4):630-43.
5.
Ryan AM, Pintrich PR. "Should I ask for help?" The role of motivation and attitudes in adolescents' help seeking in math class. J Educ
Psychology 1997;89:329-41.
6. Ryan AM, Gheen MH,
Midgley C. Why do some students avoid asking for help? An examination of the interplay among students' academic efficacy, teachers' social-emotional role,and the classroom goal structure. J Educ Psychology 1998;90:528-35.
7. Payakachat N, Gubbins
PO, Ragland D, et al.
Academic help-seeking behavior among student pharmacists. Am J Pharm Educ. 2013;77:
Article 7.
8. Harnish
RJ, Bridges KR. Effect of syllabus tone: Students' perceptions of instructor and course. Social Psychology of Education: An International Journal. 2011;14:319-30.
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